Dramatic new pictures show building work on the Orbit tower, designed as the
landmark monument of the London 2012 Olympic Games, is almost finished. But
opinion over its artistic merit remains divided.

The award-winning artist Anish Kapoor said he wanted to build a monument which had “something mythic about it” and had found inspiration in both the biblical Tower of Babel and the Eiffel Tower.

For many people, however, the London 2012 Orbit tower resembles nothing more than the fairground helter skelters of their childhood.

But visitors should be warned in advance: they will not be able to slide back down on a coconut-hair mat.

With its circular staircase and lift leading to a two-deck viewing platform, the 374-foot tower will provide visitors with unparalleled views over the Olympic Park and across east London to the City and beyond.

Those lucky enough to get into the viewing deck will even be able to catch a glimpse of the action in the 80,000-seat Olympic Stadium below them, though a family ticket for entry to the tower could end up costing as much as £60.

The ArcelorMittal Orbit, to give the tower its full name, will be the UK’s tallest sculpture and is expected to attract a million visitors a year.

Boris Johnson, the Mayor of London, said that he and Tessa Jowell, the then Olympics Minister, hit on the notion of a monument to “distinguish the east London skyline” and “arouse the curiosity and wonder of Londoners and visitors” as they walked through the Olympic Park site in October 2008.

Mr Johnson subsequently persuaded Lakshmi Mittal, the steel magnate and Britain’s richest man, to supply the 1,400 tons of metal for the tower, at a cost of £19.6 million, with the remaining £3.1 million coming from the government.

He has previously called it a “mutant trombone” and last week described it as a “mutant orchid”.

Work on the Orbit is almost complete, with the glass for the windows of the circular viewing platform now being fitted behind protective screens.

Opinion is split however, as to its artistic merits.

While some critics have predicted it will achieve status to rank alongside the Statue of Liberty and the Eiffel Tower, public reaction has been more dismissive, likening it to a pile of scrap metal, a jumble of spaghetti and of course, a helter skelter.

A spokesman for London 2012 said: “It’s a bit like Marmite. People either love it or hate it, but whatever their reaction the Orbit certainly makes an impression."